GLYFADA BEACH

Glyfada, situated in the Southern part of the Athens Metropolitan Area, is the largest suburb of this city, mostly inhabited by Greek millionaires, ministers and celebrities. It ocupéis an area of  10 square miles and has a population of about 87.300 inhabitants.

It stretches from the foot of the Nymettus mountain, a nd readches out to the Saronic Gulf. Glyfada is connected to central Athens by  avenues Posidonos and Vouliagmenis and a tram line goes across the seaside. Northwest is the forested wooded golf course of Athens, the Glyfada Golf Club, located south of the old Airport of Athens. To the east and northeast is an urban sprawl which spreads over the southwest shoulder of Mount Hymettus and its rocky landscape. The roads are lined and curved to North West at a 90 degree angle, while the beaches are located in the western part of the municipality. Wellknown for its upmarket cafes, restaurants, nightclubs, shops, boutiques and cosmopolitan summer clubs, Glyfada has also received “Knightsbridge-on-Sea”, “Hellenic Hamptons” or the “Beverly Hills of Greece”.

In the ancient period, the area was a deme known as Aixone but nowadays, It could be considered one of the most “Americanized” of Athenian municipalities, since an American airbase was located nearby until the early 1990s. Although the base is now gone and the school relocated, Glyfada still retains part of its American flavour since the  base’s population contributed in part to Glyfada’s character, leading to a unique blend of Greek and American atmosphere and cuisine.

It has been described as the headpoint of the ‘Athens Riviera’ and features some of Europe’s most opulent seafront residences, gardens and extensive beachfront property, with a modern marina. Glyfada Marina includes marine space and coastal land area totaling 3 kilometres (2 miles) with all harbor facilities and buildings found within this space.

The town hall is located at the center of the municipality, near the shopping district which offers one of the most vibrant and diversified commercial centres of Athens’ neighbourhoods, with a collection ranging across specialist and designer boutiques. The shopping district runs across Metaxa Avenue and Grigoriou Labraki Street while both the offices of major businesses and shopping areas also dot the Avenues Voyliagmenis, Goynari and Gennimata. The sea turtles have their rescue and rehabilitation center on the quay.

It is run by Archelon, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece. Free educational tours, facilities and treatments are provided for visitors.